Metropolis Nyghts
by DevinReidar
Summary: Clark has already lived through Lana dying once. Will he tell her his secret again, and to what path will that lead them? Reckoning-Post AU, Clana. Please Review.
1. A World of Darkness

**SMALLVILLE**

**_Metropolis Nyghts_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Smallville characters or anything else associated with it or Superman. The other characters are mine, but taken from the World of Darkness universe, full credit to White Wolf on that one.

The Elementals and their systems are of my creation and are copyrighted.

Enjoy the story!

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**Chapter One**

_A World of Darkness_

Clark could not get the image of the broken Lana Lang out of his mind. It would haunt him until the day he died. But now he had a chance to change things, to make sure Lex Luthor would not cause Lana's car accident. He had toyed with the idea of not telling her, but knew there would never be another chance for the two of them if he pulled away again.

There was a knock on the door, and Clark knew who it was. He had lived this day once before already. He put on his classic grin when he answered the door. Lana was smiling up at him uncertainly. To her, there had been a lot of tension over the past few months. They were still together, but the couple was struggling. She had not been able to be intimate with him since before he...

_No, he's alive and here now. Don't worry about silly things like that. You love him, girl! He just has to straighten up!_

"Hey," she said softly. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I can handle it, I promise. No matter what, I believe in you, Clark."

Clark let out a long sigh. She was right. She did stay with him, and then Lex Luthor destroyed everything. He would die himself to make sure that did not happen again if he had to.

"Okay," he finally agreed. "Come on, let's take your car."

The pair turned on their flashlights as they entered the Kawatche Caves, their beams piercing the darkness like daggers. Strange, alien symbols loomed over them against the walls. It was eerily dark this time of morning, and it set Lana on edge. Still, she remained silent. If Clark was going to share his secret, she did not want to say anything that would set him into retreat.

After a short time, they came upon a large, black pedestal. Clark climbed upon it and offered Lana his hand. "It's a good thing you dressed warm today," he commented as he brought her to stand next to him.

"Why?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

The couple was suddenly surrounded by bright light, and when it faded, they were standing amidst a crystalline palace in the arctic. Massive pillars of ice and crystal crisscrossed several hundred meters overhead, giving the place the ominous feeling of a tomb. Despite her misgivings, Lana knew she could trust Clark. He would never allow any harm to come to her, she believed that.

"Welcome to my Fortress of Solitude," Clark said softly. "This is a monument to a long dead world, a world called Krypton. It was destroyed many years ago, and fragments of it were sent to earth. The first shower to reach Earth hit Smallville Kansas in the 1980's."

"The first meteor shower," Lana confirmed.

"A lone man named Jor-El, and his wife, Lara were the only two who foresaw Krypton's imminent destruction, and sent their infant son away on a small ship. That ship crash landed with the first meteor shower."

Lana had not yet caught on, but the story was captivating. She had a sinking feeling, however, that it might not end well, and a strong suspicion that Clark was somehow related.

"That boy was found by a farmer and his wife, and raised to be just a normal boy. They were Jonathan and Martha Kent, Lana. My adoptive parents."

Lana's eyes widened in shock. Everything hit her at once and the shock of it sent her reeling. The thought that he could be lying or joking never entered her mind. He was too honest for that. When he came out with the truth, it was always straightforward.

"So... were you there... in the tornado?" she asked, trying to calm her racing pulse.

Clark nodded. "I have always been there, whether you saw me or not, protecting you. I always will. I love you, Lana, and the only times I have ever hurt you were because I either had no control, or I was trying to keep you out of danger."

"Oh, Clark," she breathed, placing a hand against his cheek. "I wish you had told me sooner."

With that, she buried her face in his chest, holding onto him tightly. He was the only thing around to support her right now, and she intended to use every bit of it. The man she loved was from another world, but she knew she was safe with him.

She barely noticed when Clark scooped her up in his arms, cradling her effortlessly. Her eyes opened in surprise, however, when she felt gravity give way and the icy wind whisk past. She looked down, and realized that the ground was suddenly very far away. Lana let out a squeal, burying her face into Clark's neck.

He laughed softly as they alit on the surface of one of the top spires, gently setting her on her feet. She looked up at him, and his gaze slipped to meet hers. Clark could lose himself forever in the infinite depths of her green eyes, and knew that soon he would have the rest of his life to.

Lana took a small step back when Clark dropped to one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lump of coal. After a firm squeeze from his hand, he opened his palm to reveal a pure, uncut and unpolished diamond. There was a wave of intense heat, and fire shot from Clark's eyes, cutting and shaping the diamond into a perfect princess cut. When he was done with that, Clark pulled a small box out from his other pocket and opened it to reveal a white gold band and setting for the diamond. After setting the stone in place, he offered it up to Lana.

"Lana Lang, will you marry me?"

"...Yes," she said softly. "I will marry you," she affirmed, this time her face splitting into a broad grin. She was going to marry Clark Kent, the man of her dreams. He had always been the one she'd loved, and he would be the one she would spend the rest of her life with.

Clark slid the ring on her finger, unable to keep the large, goofy grin off of his face. He scooped her into his arms, preparing to take her home so they could begin making preparations. Then he would take care of Lex Luthor.

"Your target, ladies and gentlemen, is Lionel Luthor," Owen said. He was a well-built man, standing around six foot two and weighing about two hundred forty pounds. His long black hair fell down past his shoulders, framing piercing violet eyes. He spoke with a voice that commanded respect, but at the same time was kind.

"He is currently staying with his son, Lex Luthor, in Smallville. Lionel is bad news for us," he continued. "There are experiments going on at Luthorcorp on enough people like us to spread an epidemic into the supernatural population. Njord and Riley, you two are on recon detail. Scout out the house before your team moves in to get a layout and coordinate your strike."

Njord, a big, burly man a head taller than Owen, nodded. His looks contributed to everyone giving him the nickname, Avalanche, but that was only the surface of the pond. Riley, an olive-skinned woman with fetching blue eyes and dark hair was an exact opposite. She was petite and athletic in frame, dwarfed by her much larger friend.

"Sounds good to me, are we actually killing him or am I going to do the traditional intimidation stuff?"

"You mean ripping people's arms off and beating them with them? Then no," Owen scolded. "I just want Lionel Luthor dead, understand? You cut the head off of the snake, and the body dies. If you manage to corner Lex, go for it, but don't go out of your way to kill him. We can get him later if he doesn't dump his daddy's projects."

"Fine by me," Njord said. "What backup do we have?"

"Squad A will consist of Konrad and Wolfe, and Squad B will pair Draven and Quinn," Owen said. "They will follow you into the mansion once you have cleared a path for them. After that they will seek out and help you eliminate Lionel."

After a moment of silence, Owen nodded. "Okay, you all know your assignments. Any questions? No? Good, get out of here."

* * *

Lex Luthor sat behind his desk in the Luthor Mansion. He hated it when his dad visited, but there was little he could do. After all, he did own the place. What he needed to do was talk to Lana. He had called her several times, and she finally answered only a few minutes ago. She had agreed to meet him, and had said she wanted to tell him something as well. He was hopeful that it would confirm his suspicions.

He had just begun to drink heavily when he heard something shuffle across the ceiling. He looked up, but saw nothing. Deciding it was nothing, he went back to his drink. A few minutes later, he heard the shuffling again, this time knocking a lamp off of a table behind him.

Now Lex knew something was up. He reached for the intercom button on his desk phone to call security, but as he did, the door to his office burst open. Clark walked in, and Lex immediately forgot about the lamp.

"Clark, what can I do for you?" he asked, managing not to slur, but only barely.

"You can stay away from me and Lana," Clark replied, his gaze venomous.

"Clark, I want nothing more than for the two of you to be happy," he tried to explain.

"LIAR!" Clark roared. "Look, either you stay away from us, or I'll put you out of our lives for good."

"That sounds dangerously close to a threat, Clark," Lex replied, mentally cursing himself for slurring.

"Take it however you want, you drunk idiot," he snapped. "But sta-"

He was cut off by a sudden scream within the mansion. It sounded like Lionel, and the gunfire that followed told the pair everything they needed to know. Clark decided to remove Lex from the equation entirely, and walked over to him. He grabbed the lapels of his jacket and threw him hard into a pillar, knocking him unconscious. That felt really good, even though he knew it should not have.

With one distraction down, Clark supersped to where he heard the scream, and the sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks. Lights flickered on and off, and the space itself seemed to distort, twisting the room in a sickening fashion. The lights blew, sending bolts of electricity arcing across the room. One of these caught a flammable surface, which immediately burst into flame and began to make its way across the room uncontrolled.

Things were quickly getting out of hand, and as the sprinkler system triggered, Clark braced for the cold water that never came. When he looked up, the water was floating to the ceiling and bouncing off rather than the other way around. It was as though gravity had reversed, and it made him wonder just what he had run into.

"I told you not to do that! There are Sleepers in the house!" a voice suddenly yelled. Clark's head twisted to see who it was, and his eyes fell on a muscular fellow holding a Desert Eagle. He was firing at a pair of guards taking cover with Lionel behind a grand piano. The man's face was covered by a black bandana, sunglasses, and a black hat, but Clark would find out who he was.

"Sorry! I couldn't help it!" shouted another voice, this one in a Norwegian accent. This came from another fellow across the balcony from the first. The only thing Clark could make out on him was spiky blonde hair underneath a hooded robe. He was big fellow, however, easily as large or larger than Clark himself.

The gunfight was ferocious, but the strange conditions made it impractical. It was almost impossible to aim through the warped room, and Clark used this to his advantage as he sped up to the first man. He was going to end this raid now.

* * *

Konrad was spraying blind fire at the guards when a large hand suddenly grabbed the nape of his coat and hauled him to his feet. A moment later, Konrad was face to face with a very angry 18 year old boy with nearly black hair and bright blue eyes. He felt his breath leave him as a forehand slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards across the room.

He landed heavily against a armoire, crushing it beneath the force of his landing. Konrad did not know who this guy was, but he had just pissed off the wrong person. The man stood, and suddenly his visage shifted. He became the epitome of perfection by human standards, and silver and white eagle's wings burst forth from his shoulders, flaring out to their full breadth. A halo of golden light encircled his head, casting a faint glow around the rest of him. His eyes were bright, filled with the limitless possibilities and expanses of the universe. It was as though he had become an angel.

Konrad could tell his opponent was thrown off-balance by this shift, but before he could take advantage, the boy was flattened by a very large invisible shape landing atop him. The shape began to claw and bite at his victim, but could not seem to get through. The angelic creature charged into the fray of bullets, judging their path by the curvature of the spatial distortion and dodging them easily. He landed in a hail of fire from his own bullets, filling the guards' chests with hot lead. The pair toppled over, dead, as he landed.

As he brought his gun to bear on Lionel's temple, there was a thunderous roar that shook the house to its foundations. Konrad looked up to see Njord and Riley go flying away from the boy, both clearly visible. The former was in a much different form than he had been in the briefing. Now he was an eight-foot tall pure white bear. Over eight-hundred pounds of muscle and claws and teeth to boot made him a very intimidating creature, even amongst others of his breed.

Konrad was forced to duck behind cover as two more security guards began firing at him from the cover of the doorway. The piano had served his former adversaries well, so he decided to use it. This was shaping up to be one tough fight.

* * *

Clark was getting extremely frustrated. The more he pounded on the gigantic beast before him, the madder and more ferocious it had gotten. It seemed to have as much endurance and strength as he, which was frightening. Still, it did not seem capable of hurting him, which was a relief. Still, there was a good chance Lex would have Kryptonite stashed somewhere in the house. If that happened to get freed during the chaos, it could pose a deadly threat.

He was about to meet the bear in another charge, he was thrown off of his feet by a powerful telekinetic blow. The force sent him flying across the room, landing hard against a painting. When they both fell to the ground, a safe was plain to see set into the wall. Clark got to his feet, grunting as he recovered from the shock of the attack.

It seemed apparent that the blow had been struck from the small woman approaching from the other side of the room. She was looking daggers at him, and he had a bad feeling that things were not going to end well. He entered superspeed, moving to rush over to her and gently knock her out of the fight without having to actually harm her.

Before he even made it halfway, a lightning bolt leapt up from one of the sparking electrical panels, striking him directly in the chest. Once again, Clark hurtled through the air, feeling an intense burning pain throughout his body as though the yellow sun itself had struck out at him in anger. There was a loud whistle, and more guards suddenly poured into the room. As if on cue, a grenade rolled forward to meet them, seemingly out of nowhere. The guards looked down at it, and immediately fell into panic when they realized what it was. Men dove behind whatever cover they could find, but as they did, two slipped and fell, getting trampled by their allies.

When the grenade went off, it was enough to make Clark wince away. The light was brilliant, and the fragments responded to the explosive force, slicing through the bodies of the guards who had not gotten out of the way, and shredding the two that had been trampled.

_What the hell is going on here!? Who the HELL did Lex piss off this time! The U.S. Military?_

* * *

Riley was getting angry. They were attempting to harm Konrad, and he was too far away for her to protect. Still, it was nice to work with Njord again. She remained calm as she made her way carefully about the battlefield, using her powers where they would be most effective. She was avoiding employing her pyrokinesis, relying instead on the telekinetic abilities she possessed.

She watched as her lover and fellow Demon, Konrad, dropped behind cover under a hail of gunfire. He was completely pinned down, and the guards had already pulled Lionel to safety after the grenade went off. Things were beginning to turn sour. Then there was the strange boy that survived an invisible mauling from Njord without so much of a scratch, but there would be time for thought on that later.

Right now, her primary concern was the protection of those she cared about, and despite the sudden intervention of Quinn and Draven wreaking havoc with the grenade, they were losing. She made a decision, and though she was not usually a leader on the battlefield, time and experience had taught her when it was time to use the better part of valor.

"Fall back!" she shouted. Although she hated guns, she brought hers up to bear as she ducked behind a bookcase, sending covering fire into the midst of guards for Konrad. To her delight, he got the message and took off running back towards Wolfe, who was busy dealing with the boy. They would get out of here alive, but they had to be careful about it.

* * *

Wolfe wove a spell of lightning before him, chanting a single word in Atlantean as he gestured with his pistol at Clark. Electricity burst forth from a light socket, crashing once again against Clark's chest. Wolfe could feel reality itself about to rebel from the spell hitting the same target twice, and drew the punishment onto himself. Deep, purplish welts appeared on his flesh, and he felt the pain of a dozen whips stinging at once.

Still, the boy rose from the ground, undamaged but slowed. Wolfe did not know what to think of this. He was amazed at the boy's fortitude, but it did not stop it from being extremely frustrating. Clark got to his feet, and before Wolfe could react, the boy was upon him. The Mage's eyes widened in surprise and then horror as he was sent flying through the air. His gaze came to rest on Konrad, who was hurriedly sneaking up the stairs. Wolfe grimaced a moment before impact, and the force of their collision caused them to tumbled down the stairs in a pained heap of grunts.

"Wolfe! Get us out of here!" he heard Riley shout. Quinn and Draven both suddenly vanished, and Wolfe knew it was time to retreat. He summoned up power and opened a gateway back into their main base in Metropolis, and a moment later he and the rest of his team winked out of existence.


	2. Awakening

**Chapter Two**

_Awakening_

Lana threw her arms around Clark's neck as she leapt at him, burying her face in his neck. When she had arrived at the Luthor Mansion, she had found it surrounded by security and police. One wing had been set aflame, and was now nothing but a hollow scorched skeleton. They had told her to go home, which she had and spent the entire night worrying. When Clark knocked on her door the next morning, she had been absolutely thrilled to see him.

He wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her tightly against him as they embraced. He loved the way her petite form fit perfectly against his, and he knew that history had been changed. He was not sure what the outcome would be, but anything was certainly better than losing Lana. They stayed like that for several moments before Clark finally set her back down.

"What happened?" she finally asked, her doe eyes gazing worriedly into his.

"I'm not entirely sure," Clark replied honestly. "I was talking to Lex and then I heard a scream and gunshots. Next thing I know, it's like the S.W.A.T. team from hell had burst in and started shooting. They don't even know if Lionel will survive. Lex is fine, though. He got knocked out just as everything started.

"Wonderful," Lana sighed, then she once again shifted to concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Clark nodded. "That's one thing you will rarely have to worry about, Lana."

She furrowed her brow at him curiously, wondering if this had anything to do with the abilities he had begun to tell her about. "Why not?"

"Because almost nothing can hurt me," Clark replied. "I'm literally bullet-proof."

Lana raised her eyebrows. "So what can hurt you then? Sounds to me like you're invincible."

"Not entirely," Clark said. "You know those meteor rocks that are all over the place? Those are radioactive pieces of my homeworld, and they are deadly to me. The technical term for them is Kryptonite, but yeah, the different variations have other effects on me."

Lana's hand went instinctively to her neckline. "You mean my necklace… Clark, why didn't you ever tell me? I would have taken it off a long time before I did!"

Clark shrugged. "It was something important to you, and I wasn't even a blip on your radar at the time."

"Well you're certainly more than a blip now, mister," she replied with a mischievous grin. "So have they figured out who attacked Lionel yet?"

"They can't find any substantial evidence," Clark replied. "Nothing that brings up any names or organizations. There's nothing to go on."

"Apparently these guys were good," Lana mused.

"Oh they were very good," Clark agreed. "But I think there are some serious mutations going on since the last meteor shower. They had abilities that I never thought were possible. Some of which, I think could possibly hurt me if adapted."

Lana pulled him into another hug, resting her head against his chest. She was not sure how close she had come to losing him last night, but she did not want to think about the possibility of him encountering these people again. He was all that was left in her life that was good was him. She loved him so much she thought she would burst, and now that he was hers forever, there was nothing that would take him away if she could help it.

When Clark pulled away a few moments later, she felt like her entire universe was being ripped in two. She only felt whole when he was close to her, and it was that that told her he was the one. He had always been able to make her feel safe and protected, but the love she felt from him was enough to make her weak in the knees. Still, she knew that his destiny was far greater than hers could ever be, and she would do anything possible to ensure that he fulfilled it.

"So when do we tell everyone the happy news?" Lana asked.

Clark grinned. "Why don't we go and tell them together right now?"

"So you're telling me that an 18 year old kid stopped six of my best heavily armed and trained warriors… with his bare hands?" Owen asked the woman standing before him. She was several inches shorter than he, but still tall by modern standards. Her blonde hair fell in waves to the middle of her back, and her curvaceous figure was concealed behind a very revealing, but tasteful, gown. Her eyes were the same shade as the summer sky, and her skin lightly tanned and perfectly smooth. She was beautiful, but it was her laughter, her smile, and her intelligence that made Owen marry her.

Allie nodded slowly. "We have footage from the kill cams, but nothing conclusive. Mostly a lot of blurring and then the back of his head. Still, we should be able to find him."

Owen rubbed his temples. "Lionel Luthor is alive, and now they're going to have him heavily guarded for a long time. That was possibly our only shot at getting him clean. If we re-deploy, we'll lose a lot of people trying to get to him."

"Well, what do you want us to do? If this kid hangs out with the Luthors often, he could possibly be there any time we make an attack," she said.

"Good point, but the security cameras showed him throwing Lex into a pillar, so it's obvious they're not friends. They were yelling shortly beforehand, and it didn't look pretty," Owen affirmed. "We need to find this kid, figure out what side he's on. If at all possible, we'll try and bring him under our wing. Something tells me he would be far more valuable than he seems right now."

"Well Riley, Wolfe, and I beat on him for a full five minutes and he came away without a scratch," Njord interjected as he stepped into the room. "We either need to recruit or kill this guy."

"I'd prefer to not start a policy of killing teenagers," Owen replied. "And even if I did, how do you kill something that survives a three-way attack against a half-demon, a Mage, and a Werewolf?"

"Were-BEAR," Njord corrected.

"Regardless," Owen continued, ignoring the correction. "We still need to find this kid and figure out what his place in all of this is. I will go myself. He might recognize anyone that was part of that team."

"I'll go with you," Allie agreed.

"Fine by me," Owen said with a nod. "Njord, I'll need you and Quinn to hold down the fort while we're gone."

Alamondria snorted. "Putting a werewolf and vampire in charge together, you MUST be smoking something."

"They'll get along, or they'll deal with the resulting punishment when we get back," he said, shooting a glare at the larger man.

"Yeah, we'll take care of everything, Big O," Njord assured him. "Do what has to be done."

Chloe sat in her favorite spot within the Talon, typing up an article to once again try and get herself out of the Daily Planet's basement. It was not going well. Still, her winter vacation from MetU was helping her to get more work done, and even rest some. Things were still hectic, however, and the added push of an attempt on Lionel Luthor's life was not something she needed, however much it would help.

She had begun finding out all she could of the invaders, but they hid their identities well. However, she was able to get information that suited her when the guards began tell of reality itself behaving strangely around the attackers. After taking down some notes, she quickly returned to the room she and Lana were currently sharing in the Talon. From the moment she sat in front of the computer, Chloe had been unreachable. Other than moving her laptop downstairs for a latte and snack, she would hardly respond to anyone.

She sat back in her chair, running a hand through her short blonde hair. She bit her lower lip, as she often did when thinking hard. She still was completely confused by what had transpired that night, but she was glad Clark had been there to stop it. Still, these people could possibly know his secret by now, and come looking for him.

She suddenly realized exactly the amount of danger Clark was in. If even a quarter of what she had researched into the supernatural abilities of the assassins was true, they were in serious trouble. Chloe quickly grabbed for her phone and dialed Lana's cell number. She only hoped Clark would be nearby so she could warn him.

The young woman chewed her lip nervously as the phone continued to ring. She was quickly growing impatient, and had begun gathering her things together when Lana answered.

"Hello?" she asked dreamily. Yep, she was definitely with Clark.

"Lana! Is Clark there with you?" Chloe asked impatiently.

"Nice to hear from you too, Chloe," Lana replied flatly. "Yeah, he's right here, what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to the both of you, can you put me on speakerphone?"

There was a beep before Lana said, "There, go ahead."

"Well I was doing some research on the guys that attacked Lionel, and I found out that there have been a number of terrorist activities in Metropolis over the past few months. All of them have been extremely well done, like beyond professionalism and into the realm of the supernatural."

"Chloe, slow down," Clark said calmly. "What does this all mean?"

"What it means," Chloe said. "Is that these guys might be meteor freaks or something else. Right now I'm leaning towards the something else. And if they saw you use your abilities, they could potentially come after you. After all, you did ruin their plans to kill Lionel."

"Clark, what if she's right? What if they try to get to you?" Lana said, the worry clearly evident in her voice.

"Hey, both of you, calm down," Clark said reassuringly. "I can handle things. I'll protect those I care about, and besides, they don't know my weakness so they can't hurt me."

"But what if they learn it," Chloe insisted.

"Then I'll just have to rely on my friends and fiancé to save me," he replied. There was a moment of silence as Chloe let his words sink in. They had gotten engaged. There was truly no chance now of her and Clark ever being together, and that thought saddened her. At the same time, however, she was extremely happy for the two of them. They deserved one another, she thought.

"Wait, you're getting MARRIED!?" she exclaimed. "That's SO great you guys! I can't believe it! When is the wedding? When do I get to take Lana out for her bachelorette party?"

"I'll tell you all about it when I get home tonight," Lana replied.

"Okay, well you two lovebirds be careful, okay? I'm going to keep looking into this stuff."

"Thanks, Chloe," Clark said. "Let us know if you find anything else."

"Will do."

* * *

Owen wrung his hands a little as he watched the boy and his girlfriend walk into the Talon. Alamondria was right beside him, waiting in the passenger's seat. She did not look as nervous as he, but then again, she was always the more politically and socially capable of them. Owen had classic manners, but otherwise he was more of a front line fighter and mechanic than anything else. Still, he was a natural leader, and that had shone through on more than one occasion.

They were waiting for the right moment to approach them, but until they watched them long enough, picking the right moment would be tough. Then again, there was a chance that they had nothing to worry about. Owen highly doubted the latter, however.

The pair watched curiously as a silver Porsche pulled to a halt in front of the café. The driver's side door opened, and Lex Luthor stepped out and walked into the Talon. A few moments later, as darkness fully overtook Smallville, another car pulled up. This one was a black SUV, and suddenly, five armed men in vastly different clothing that each other stepped out. Their attire ran the gamut from wealth to squalor, and Owen understood why. They would stand out much less if they remained separated and looked as though they had no association with one another. Things were about to get interesting in Smallville.

Clark looked up from the computer as Lex walked in. He, Lana, and Chloe had spent the evening so far going over her research, and the last closed her laptop as he approached. Lex stopped a few feet before them, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was sweating, and Clark could smell the alcohol on him. He was drunk.

"Hey, Clark, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" he asked.

"Anything you need to say to me, you can say to them, Lex," Clark replied coolly. As if to emphasize his point, he put one arm around Lana's shoulders, and she instinctively sank into her new fiancé.

"Well, I just wanted to apologize for the other night. I'm glad you're okay, but I regret that you got caught in the middle of that."

"Are you saying you set up your father?" Clark asked a little suspiciously.

"No, no," Lex hurriedly denied. "It's just that sometimes corporate warfare actually turns into literal warfare. And my father has made a lot of enemies. He's lucky he's lived this long."

Clark nodded, but it was Lana who spoke next. "Is there anything else we can do for you?" she asked. There was a not-too-subtle hint that she wanted him to leave.

Lex got the hint, but as he opened his mouth to say goodbye, Clark heard the click of a trigger. Everything slowed to a crawl as the thunderous sound of gunfire filled the air. He saw the bullet headed towards Lex's head, and quickly threw his friend to the ground. Next, he turned to Lana and Chloe and put his back to the gunfire. His eyes widened in surprise when he felt the first bullet rip through the flesh of his back and lodge itself between his ribs. Pain exploded throughout his torso, and he felt the effects of Kryptonite causing his flesh to literally begin to wither.

He fell to the ground, taking the two girls with him. He shoved them forwards, telling them to get behind the counter as more gunfire echoed overhead. Lana tried to drag him with her, but when a bullet glanced off of the counter right next to her head, she decided to listen to Clark. With both of them safe, Clark rolled onto his side with a pained groan. The last time he had been shot, he had been mortal and hit with a normal bullet. This was far worse. Whoever these people were, they had been after him, not Lex.

Two of the men rushed forward and grabbed Clark's arms. As they began to drag him out, Lana screamed and came running out from behind the counter. Another of the group raised a massive revolver and took aim. Lana froze in place as he squeezed the trigger.

_The world was awash with color and life. Exotic plants and beasts of myth and legend swarmed the Primal Wild. Lana looked around in awe and utter amazement. Suddenly, everything made sense. She understood how Isobel had worked her magic, and realized that the witch had been merely dabbling into something far much greater._

_However, there were also other beings within the world. Spirits of all kinds walked the earth as well, and it gave Lana an eerie feeling to be among beings that had never lived and died. She knew what they were, reflections of the spiritual energy in the Material Realm, but that did not make them any more disconcerting._

_She found herself wondering how she had come to reach this level of understanding, and a curiosity to know more overcame her. She ventured forth into the jungle landscape, finding that the plants would even bend from her path. She chose not to disturb anything, knowing that she was the visitor here. The good graces of the land might only last so long, and she intended to make her visit as little a disturbance to the natural life as possible._

_As the trees before her parted, Lana gasped at the sight that came before her. A massive tower rose out from the center of the wild land, its pinnacle reaching the highest clouds. At the top was a massive stone book with two very strange symbols engraved on it. Lana suddenly, and unexpectedly realized what they were. _Life_ and_ Spirit.

_She quickly entered the large tower, passing the stone guardians at the doorway without incident. Once inside, she saw that the only way up was to climb the trees growing everywhere within the tower. Rather than breaking it up or damaging it, however, it seemed they helped to support and strengthen it. Still, she knew it would be a long climb._

_As she reached out and touched the nearest tree, Lana suddenly felt a change come over her. Her bones bent and shifted, her arms and legs growing longer and fixing in a position that forced her onto all fours. Her face elongated slightly, her eyes slitting as her body took on the appearance of a leopard. When the transformation was finished, Lana looked in awe at her new form. Realizing what she was supposed to do, the young girl leaped to the lowest branch and began to climb up with amazing speed and skill._

_It was not long before she reached the top, and when she did, changed back into her human self. The pinnacle of the tower contained a myriad of natural paints, animal claws, fangs, and barbs. Etched or painted on the walls were names. Limitless names covered the inner wall of the tower, but it was not long before Lana saw a place that seemed to be reserved just for her signature. She bent down and picked up a leopard's claw, as it seemed only appropriate._

_Literally shaking from anticipation of the knowledge that awaited her, Lana knelt down and began to scratch her name into the small space where none had left their mark yet. She took careful time, although her name would be forever etched there regardless. As she did so, she thought of the other names. All of those people had come there before her, and she was sure there were many more to come. It was clear to see that there were more older and worn names than new, giving evidence that she was part of a slowly dying fraternity and sorority._

_When she was finished, the world flashed around her, spinning rapidly. A moment later, everything returned to the Talon._


	3. Confederacy

**Chapter Three**

_Confederacy_

Lana dropped to her knees as the bullet whizzed past overhead, and despite her knew knowledge of the world beyond, there was still little she could do to help the situation. She only wished that she had awoken to some sort of power that would have been useful in their current situation.

The door suddenly burst open again, this time permitting a man and woman entrance. The man was carrying a large sword, and the woman flicked her wrists, causing daggers to appear out of nowhere. The men all turned to look at the new intruders, a couple tilting their heads in confusion.

"Catch you fuckers at a bad time?" Owen asked. He did not give them time to respond, instead pointing at the two who were holding Clark, who immediately dropped to the floor, dead. "GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted at Lana and Chloe. The two women did not wait to be told again.

As Owen charged towards the men, Allie went the opposite direction. Chloe made the mistake of looking up as a series of odd colored light flashes emitted from the woman's hands, and she suddenly felt very sick to her stomach. The two girls grabbed Clark and dragged him behind the bar, waiting for the right moment to escape out the back door.

Owen landed behind one of the men, whom he promptly slit the throat of. Another sprayed bullets from a micro-SMG towards him, but the warrior deflected several of the shots with his Nordic sword before ducking behind cover. Another man stepped out from behind a pillar, double-barreled shotgun pointed straight at Owen.

Before he could pull the trigger, however, a bright flash of ultraviolet light filled the room, and the four remaining men instantly collapsed into piles of ash. Alamondria was absolute walking death to vampires, as was he. Only he had not thought to read their auras, which Allie had done the moment she saw them. He had been lucky she was there.

"Did they make it out?" she asked, running up to check and make sure he was okay.

"I think they went out the back door," Owen replied. "Come on, we need to get to them before they run off too far."

"You're hurt," Allie said, pointing to his arm.

"It passed through clean," Owen said. "I've had worse. That kid looked pretty bad though. We need to hurry and get him some help."

"Lead the way," Allie agreed.

Lana and Chloe groaned with the strain of trying to lift Clark into the former's SUV, but were having little luck with the Kryptonian's heavy body. After a few more tries, however, they finally managed to get him inside. Chloe jumped into the back seat, lifting Clark's head and resting it in her lap as Lana ran around to the driver's side door.

"Hey!" a female voice shouted from behind them. Lana looked back to see the same couple that had entered the Talon a moment after the gunfight started. She was not sure she could trust them, and she did not want to find out.

Lana panicked and jumped in the car. She turned the key to start the engine, and it came roaring to life.

"Would you come the hell back!?" Owen shouted in annoyance. When she refused to comply, he sighed and made a simple gesture at the front end of the vehicle.

The entire frame shook, and then vibrated as the car died suddenly. Lana was suddenly very afraid. She looked back at Chloe, who was doing her best to keep pressure on the wound in Clark's chest. Lana could tell she was crying, and she was having a lot of trouble holding back tears herself at the moment, but she knew they would do Clark no good.

She opened the door, not knowing what these people wanted or what she was going to do if they turned hostile, but wanting to save her fiancé at any cost. She stood between the car and the two strangers, and while small, she looked very imposing at the moment.

"We're not going to hurt you," Owen said quickly.

"We saw those guys go into your store and start shooting, and we knew we could help," Allie confirmed. "We need to get your friend help soon, though. That bullet could kill him."

_More than you know…_ Lana thought.

"How can I trust you?" Lana asked suspiciously.

"We just saved your life, girl. There's nothing more we want than for your well-being. I promise we're just here to help," Allied said almost pleading. "Your friend is in there dying, now please let us help him."

Lana tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear as she contemplated her options. Deciding that these people might be better to take care of someone like her soon to be husband than a regular hospital, she nodded.

"Okay, just promise me one thing," she said. "No matter what you find on any tests you run on him, you cannot allow them to be released in any way."

Owen and Allie both smiled, exchanging knowing glances. "Sweetie," Allie said softly. "We're all about keeping secrets. Especially when it comes to special people like your boyfriend."

* * *

Clark slowly opened his eyes. He felt like absolute hell, but that was not the worst of it. The Kryptonian found himself laying in what appeared to be a hospital bed. Lana would not have taken him to a hospital, though. She was smarter than that.

"Hey," a soft voice said from beside him. He turned his head towards the sound, and smiled softly when he saw Lana's beautiful face smiling worriedly down at him. She had only seen him sick once before, and that had nearly ripped her heart out. He could only imagine what she was feeling right now.

"Hey, is everyone okay?" he asked.

Lana tenderly smoothed his hair out of his face before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Shh. Everything is fine," she soothed. "You gave us quite a scare, you know. If they hadn't gotten the bullet out when they did…"

Clark saw tears forming in her eyes, and suddenly felt a deep stab of guilt. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder. Her slender form shook with sobs as she finally allowed herself to stop being strong. Clark lovingly cradled her in his arms and rocked her back and forth, taking everything she was pouring into him. After a few minutes, he finally felt her relax against him. When he looked down at her face to see if she was okay, he saw that she had fallen asleep.

Clark could not help but smile. She looked so beautiful when she was at peace. Her deep, contented breathing helped him relax as well, despite his surroundings. As long as Lana was there, he knew that everything would be okay. Clark closed his eyes and lay there awake, simply enjoying the feeling of her being close.

The door opened a moment later, permitting entrance to a very large man. He stood around 6'4" and looked to weigh around 285 pounds of pure muscle. His short, spiky blonde hair offset his dark brown eyes, and he wore simple dark clothing. The figure walked over to Clark's bedside and checked his vital signs.

"Looks like you're healing well," the man said in a thick Norwegian accent. "My name is Wolfe. I am a friend of Owen and Alamondria's. I'm here to help."

"Who are Owen and Alamondria?" Clark asked, his brow furrowing.

"They are the people that saved your life, my friend," Wolfe replied. "They run a small operation full of people like you and I. Well, I should say like me, you are an entirely different breed, Mr. Kent."

Clark did not like the sound of that. "So am I a prisoner?"

Wolfe chuckled. "No, far from it, my friend. You are a guest in our small corner of Metropolis. We do however, think you might be persuaded to help our noble cause."

Clark suddenly recognized the voice. He remembered that accent from the night at Lex's house. It was one of the terrorists. He dared not move, for fear of hurting himself and Lana, but he immediately tensed, and Wolfe noticed the jump in his heart rate.

The man finally looked Clark in the eyes, and Clark realized that he could not put an age to the man's face. It alarmed him at first, but he hypothesized that it could be due to meteor rock exposure. Wolfe sighed, placing his handheld computer on the bedside table.

"You recognize me, don't you? Or my voice at least," he said.

Clark furrowed his brow. "How did you know that?"

"Reading people is something I've become very good at. It helps when dealing with Demons."

"Wait… did you just say Demons? Aren't they just fairy tales?"

Wolfe laughed. "A legend at best, truth at worst."

"And you associate with them?" Clark continued.

"I do when it is necessary in my work. Not all of them are bad. Some even work to improve our world."

"By killing Corporate Executives?" Clark countered.

"Your friend's father is not a good man," Wolfe said. He was not defensive, calmly stating it as fact.

"And killing him makes you better, I suppose?"

"When it ensures the survival of my friends and the discontinuation of experiments on those like us, I am all for doing what is necessary," Wolfe replied. "We are not bad people. In fact, we are just like you. We hide quietly in the background, fighting the evil out there that threatens our continued existence or this world itself."

"I don't kill people," Clark said, gently stroking Lana's hair.

"Not yet," Wolfe said. "But the time will come when you are forced to take a life to protect one you love, and then you will know why killing is sometimes necessary."

"Taking the life of another is never necessary, but sometimes it is unavoidable," Clark admitted defiantly. "There's not a point to argue, I won't help you kill people."

"Regardless of what you might think of our practices, we do serve the greater good. We are on your side, unless you should choose to oppose us. But I think your dear girlfriend will want to know more about what she's become."

Clark suddenly realized why Lana must have been so upset. They had changed her, turned her into something like they were. "Change her back. She doesn't deserve to be hidden away like we do. She deserves a normal, happy life."

"It is not us who chose her fate, Clark," Wolfe said. "She came to that understanding all on her own. It is she who, if there is any blame to be had, to take it. She protected you and herself, whether she realizes she did anything or not."

"How would you know that?" Clark asked, arching a brow.

"Because," Wolfe said. "I've been doing extensive research into your incredible physiology. From what I've discovered, your weakness to the Kryptonite would have killed you long before Owen and Alamondria ever brought you back here. Lana healed you, or staved off your death long enough for someone who knew what they were doing to finish the work."

Clark knew he had been beat. Still, he did not have to like it. "So she's not a meteor-freak?"

Wolfe laughed at this. "No, my friend. None of us are your so-called meteor freaks. We are all supernaturals by birthright or understanding or even a sire. In any case, it is never by freak occurrence that we come into our abilities. I told you we weren't so different. We descend from different worlds just as you do."

Clark had to admit, the man had a point. It still did not make him any more comfortable, however. He only hoped that Chloe was safe.

"Excuse me, but what happened to Chloe?" Clark asked.

Wolfe had just begun to exit the room, but stopped and turned around. "She's doing fine. We are having to keep you all in containment for right now, but I promise you will be released to do as you please shortly, we only want to ensure both of our safeties."

With that, the large, strange man left the room. Clark wondered how such a man could kill without hesitation. He had seemed so… down to earth and human. He could only imagine how many people he would have to kill before he would be able to deal with it like that. But he knew the answer before the question even popped in his head. He would not. Clark could never be comfortable with ending a life, no matter how many times he might be forced to do so. Even then, he had not come to terms with the fact that lethal force was sometimes necessary.

A little while later, Lana stirred and groaned, stretching into Clark's warm body next to her. Clark smiled down at his fiancé, and gently stroked her hair back, revealing her angelic face. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, and her eyelids fluttered open before closing again as she accepted it. The two drew closer, instinctively encircling one another in their arms.

This was nice, but Lana was aching for more. She took the initiative and, when Clark's lips parted, seductively slid her tongue into his mouth. Clark quickly responded, deepening the kiss and eliciting a muffled moan from Lana. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp as he placed a hand on her lower back. The two continued their passionate kiss until they suddenly heard the door behind them open. Lana broke away quickly, burying her face in Clark's neck. She was definitely not embarrassed to be caught kissing _that_ man, but at the same time she was naturally shy.

Clark could not help but turn red as Owen walked into the room. He had a soft smile on his face as he drew up a chair and sat down in front of Clark. The older man, regarded the two for a moment before speaking.

"Before I begin, I just want to apologize for the way you met my friends the other night. We don't enter into somewhere with an objective like that lightly. If things work out the way I hope, you'll come to understand why we came to that conclusion, and how no other option was possible."

"There's always a way to avoid killing someone," Clark replied.

"Clark, try to be civil," Lana whispered in his ear.

"That was a most unfortunate conclusion, but one we were forced to come to. Had we simply shut down Level Three, Lionel would have just opened it elsewhere. There was simply no other option but to cut the head off the snake, figuratively speaking," Owen said. He could tell this would be a major point of contention.

"Luthorcorp has killed so many people, mortals and supernaturals, alike. What do you think they would do if they ever got a hold of you? You'd be just another one of their lab rats, same as I would." Owen paused for a moment, looking down at Lana. "And now she would as well."

Clark remembered Ryan, and felt a deep pit of anger that had been buried for so long begin to well up within him. He gently rubbed Lana's back as she lay against him, ideas bouncing inside his head faster than even he could run. Owen watched him closely. He could tell he had struck a nerve, but he still was not sure which.

"Kid, there's a big world out there, and you may think you've seen the worst with your 'meteor freaks,' but I promise you, there are many layers beneath that. We are but one of them, but there are worlds beneath us that are even more frightening. If you expect to keep the world safe, and judging by your intervention the other night, you do, then you're going to need help. We need you, Clark, more than you could know. We are but one part of a much larger Confederacy that rules the supernatural world. Your friend, Arthur Curry, joined us not too long ago. He said that if I ever ran into you, to encourage you to do the right thing."

That forced Clark to think even harder. If AC, while brash and impulsive, had thought the cause worthy enough to join, then Clark's respect for his friend forced him to seriously consider his options. He wondered what had convinced AC to help out, and where he could be right now.

"I have my family, friends, and Lana to consider, too," Clark said. "I don't want to leave any of them behind. They need me."

Lana, who had been keeping quiet up till then, chose that moment to sit up. "Clark, don't let me or anyone ever hold you back. You're destiny is far greater than mine or anyone's back in Smallville. You have a wonderful gift, use it to help the world," she said, gently caressing his face with her hand.

"You wouldn't have to leave them behind," Owen said softly. "We have already paid off the debt to your farm and bought the land in your parents' names. The deed is theirs, and they never have to worry about losing their home. They will also see a portion of your income, which may seem very generous, but your worth is far greater than any price could afford. I'm not telling you this to pressure you. Your family will keep the house no matter what, and all the other benefits will still apply, other than the salary, of course, should you choose not to help us."

Clark's gaze met Lana's and the discussion was over. He knew that to turn these people away, would also be turning his back on her. If they knew what had happened to her, and what new abilities she possessed, then they could possibly help her learn to control them. It would not be easy, but she would have a better chance than on her own.

"I have a few conditions," Clark finally said.

Owen was ecstatic, and though he had a master's poker-face, his excitement was becoming more difficult to hide. "Name them," was all he replied.

"First, Lana and I are to work together," Clark said. "We haven't been together this long to be torn apart now. It's a package deal. If you want me, then she has to come, and she needs to learn either to control these new abilities, or have them removed if she so chooses."

"Done," Owen replied. "But you don't have to decide right now, Clark," he added. "We only brought you here because you were dying. I don't want you to feel any pressure at all. In a little while I'd like it if you and Lana went home and discussed it with your families. Of course, there will be certain things that need to be kept a secret-"

"No," Clark said, shaking his head. "My parents, Pete, and Chloe have to know. They've known my secret all along, and I won't keep them out of this."

Owen sighed heavily. "That's going to be a little harder to manage, but I think we can do it. What about you?" he asked Lana.

"As long as I can keep going to college and speak with my Aunt Nell, there won't be a problem. She doesn't know Clark's secret, and I'm not really sure it's a good idea to tell her."

"That helps," Owen said with a nod. "Well before you leave, I do have something that I hope you will sign. This isn't a contract, it is merely for both of our protection. Once signed, neither side can harm the other until the contract is either finalized or abated. I don't want you to feel uneasy, but remember that we have to protect ourselves as well."

Clark watched as he brought out two rolls of parchment and handed one to each of them. He thought it odd that they would use that instead of paper, but he understood once a small dagger fell into his lap as the parchment unrolled. Blood kept better on it, and blood was used to seal magical pacts. At least, that was what he had seen on television.

The two read carefully over the contracts, almost memorizing every line to make sure that there were no loopholes for either side. When satisfied, Lana painfully pricked her finger, signing her name in blood on the parchment. Clark looked at the knife for a moment before looking up at Owen.

"It has a Kryptonite edge," he explained. "It's not enough to do any harm, but enough to prick your finger with. I will destroy the blade as soon as you are finished."

Clark looked at him suspiciously for a moment before signing his name as well, the cut causing him to feel even weaker than he had when he awoke. He barely managed to finish before falling backwards against the bed, which was thankfully still upright. Lana cast a worried glance at him, but he smiled to let her know he was fine.

The scrolls suddenly jumped to Owen's hand before vanishing into thin air. "Good, now that that's taken care of," he said with a sigh, picking up the dagger from Clark's bed. "Time to get rid of this." he held it in his hand, palm up and spoke a strange, musical word. An instant later, the dagger dissolved into ash.

"You two rest up, I'll have them send Chloe in so that you can talk to her before we present her with the contract," Owen said, rising to his feet. "Take care, you two," he added with a smile. The kindly man with violet eyes turned and briskly strode from the room. As he left, Clark could only wonder just what he and Lana had gotten themselves into.


	4. Pursuit

Chapter Four  
Pursuit

Owen paced back and forth in front of his fellow supernaturals. "Okay, Clark and his friends are going to be heading back to Smallville to talk to his parents and let them know what is going on. From what we've learned about him, he's pretty much invincible."

"Except for Kryptonite," Wolfe added. "Radioactive pieces from his home world," he explained. "They appear as greenish rocks and can kill him if he's exposed to enough of their radiation."

"Exactly," Owen agreed. "So if you're around this guy and you see him start to go weak, clear out any of the rocks you find. He's under our protection now, guys. Treat him the same as you would any other, and the same goes for Lana."

The group nodded their agreement, and he heaved a sigh. "Next order of business is who will be in command here while Alamondria and I are in Smallville. Quinn and Njord, can you two not kill one another long enough to keep things together here while she and I are in Smallville for three days?"

The vampire and Lycan looked at one another for a moment, their body language impossible to read except amongst the predatory-minded individuals within the group. Those that could understand, took a step back. Nobody wanted to get between a vampire and werewolf on the verge of ripping themselves apart.

"HEY!" Owen snapped. Both men's attention was instantly returned to their leader, but a moment later, everything distorted as the floor dropped out from beneath the two of them. When Owen shouted, he had also cast a spell from the Space Arcana, which had opened a portal entrance beneath both of their feet and the exit just above their heads. As a result, both entered into a portal loop where they continuously fell.

Those who had not withdrawn before did so after Owen started to lose his temper. The Mage walked over to his victims and, as he began to speak, moved his head in sync with their motion, ensuring that they could hear him.

"You. Two. Better. Not. F*ck. Anything. Up. While. I'm. Gone. Understand?"

Both men shouted their agreement, and a moment later the portal entrance closed behind them, as did the exit when they fell through. Both hit the floor with hard thuds, and slowly began to peel themselves off of the ground.

"Let's all try to get along for three f*cking days, shall we?" Owen said, arching an eyebrow at the two men as they got to their feet. Both nodded in agreement, and a moment later the door opened. Kia, Owen's blonde-haired petite eighteen year old adoptive daughter, entered. Beside her was Oxana, one of the members of Njord's werewolf pack. They parted to allow Clark, Lana, and Chloe to enter.

Owen smiled softly as the three stopped before him, and he gestured towards each of his team in turn. "Clark, Lana, Chloe, I'd like you to meet my friends and family. That big furry bear you encountered is Njord and you've already met Konrad, Riley, and Wolfe."

He put an arm around his wife as he continued. "Over there is Callisto, but you'd do best not to talk to her," he said, gesturing to a woman with bright blue dreadlocks, eyes that could break a man's heart or sear his soul, and a slim, athletic figure accented by her armor.

"How come?" Clark asked.

"Uh… she's… cranky," Owen said with an apologetic lopsided grin.

Just then, Callisto pulled out a very large knife, which she proceeded to use to clean her nails. Her gaze fell on Clark, and she gave him a wicked grin.

"As I said, just… don't get too close. Anyways, this is Kia, and Oxana."

The latter was a tall woman with tan skin and brunette hair intermixed with blonde highlights. She had a very primal, predatory look about her and she offered Clark and his friends a toothy grin.

"Last, but certainly not least, we have Dilandra, Draven, and Aasta," Owen said. "Everyone else is either not here or asleep, but you'll meet them as time goes on."

Aasta smiled, definitely enjoying looking at Clark, as was Dilandra. The former looked almost like royalty, and for a time during her two millennia existence, she had been. She had shoulder length, dirty blonde hair and fair skin as soft as silk. Dilandra was the opposite. She wore a black leather jacket to compliment her armor and was rather intimidating. Her brunette hair fell to her shoulders, and she was a head and shoulders taller than her petite female counterpart. Draven, on the other hand, was an original gothic vampire. He dressed more like a rock star, and sported several chains and spikes. Still, the vampire had a mischievous glint in his eye, as though he knew something no one else did.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Clark said. "So when are we going back to Smallville?" he asked Owen.

"Very soon, I just have to wrap up this meeting and we'll be ready to go," Owen replied. "You're more than welcome to stay and participate."

"That would be fine," Clark agreed with a small smile.

Owen turned back to his group. "Okay, everyone. You've got your work cut out for you while we're gone. Someone is trying to kill Clark, and I want you to find out who and stop them."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know, but you need to hurry. We can't risk any more attacks on these kids until they're under our full protection."

"Oh, I get it. You have no idea what I should do or how I should do it, but whatever I do, I should do it fast," Quinn replied flatly.

"Exactly," Owen replied. "They were using Kryptonite weaponry, so they may have the resources to exploit our weaknesses as well. Be sure to watch each other's backs. If possible, start with capturing one of their soldiers."

"Sounds like a plan, but we'll need something to draw them out," Njord said as his gaze fell on Clark."

"No way, fuzzball," Owen warned. "Don't even think about using him as bait."

Njord shook his head. "I wasn't talking about using him as bait. We'll use me. Just let me taste a sample of his blood, then I'll use my Gift of Skin Stealing to copy him. They won't know the difference, and Kryptonite is not lethal to me."

Quinn shrugged. "If the walking carpet wants to eat a machine gun sandwich, I'm all for it."

"You know where the blood samples are kept, just be careful," Owen said.

Clark was confused, but he figured he would understand what they were talking about soon enough. Still, the idea of someone copying him reminded him of Tina Greer, which made him shudder uncomfortably. Lana must have made the connection, too, because she drew herself closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his arm.

"If you guys can stop whoever is trying to kill me, I'm all for it, but I'd also like to help. I can't have you putting your lives on the line for me and not try to help," he said.

Owen offered him a warm smile. "You're worth a hundred vampires and werewolves, kid, and they know that. They're very, very good at what they do. Don't worry about them throwing their lives away needlessly, they'll be fine."

Clark believed him. He had seen them in action, and against just normal humans they would be effective indeed. He nodded, and Owen grinned, looking back at his subordinates.

"So the plan's set. No civilian casualties, guys. Any questions? No? Then let's get to it."

* * *

Lex paced back and forth in front of his father's hospital room, cell phone in hand. He had not slept since the attack, having been consumed with finding those who attempted to kill his father. He may not have liked the man, but he was still his flesh and blood. A deep-rooted love for his family outweighed all of the wrongs they had done to one another in the past, and it was this that fueled his rage.

"I don't care what it takes, you are supposed to be the top security agency in Metropolis. So tell me why my father is laying on what could be his death bed because of your incompetence!"

"Sir," the man on the other end of the line began, "We were not prepared for an attack of that magnitude. The people we faced were better armed and armored than we were. They were highly trained and well-organized."

"I don't want your excuses," Lex spat. "I want you to find the people that did this and bring them to justice."

"That isn't our job."

"And as of now, neither is guarding my manor. You're fired."

Lex shut his phone angrily. He continued his frantic pacing, and could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on. He knew that Clark had somehow saved his father, but at the same time, he wondered how the boy had managed to survive where six of his security force had died.

Clark had always been a mystery to Lex, and regardless of his suspicions there had never been any proof to show that he was anything other than mortal. Still, there were too many inconsistencies and coincidences for him to ignore. One way or another, he knew that Clark was connected to all of this, and he planned on finding out how.

He flipped open his cell phone again and began to dial a number. It was time to find out the truth about Clark Kent.

* * *

Owen pulled out of the garage, the engine of his massive pickup truck letting out a deafening roar as he hit the accelerator. Alamondria sat beside him, Clark just behind and Lana beside her fiance. Chloe, on the other hand, had elected to return to MetU in order to set a few things straight before following them the next morning. The two had been quiet since the meeting, which made Owen uncomfortable. Much to his surprise, Lana was the first to speak.

"So… what are you?"

Owen chuckled softly. "Gee thanks."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she quickly said. "I didn't mean any offense."

"No, it's perfectly fine," he replied with a smile. "I'm a Mage, a Moros to be exact, and a member of the Adamantine Arrow."

"I have no idea what that means," Lana admitted.

"Trust me, you'll learn soon enough," he replied. "As Wolfe told you, you also happen to be a Mage, though we are from opposite ends of that spectrum."

"What do you mean?"

"You, my dear, are a Thyrsus. You will, in time, learn to master the magics, or Arcanum as we call them, of Life and Spirit."

Lana was still having trouble coping with her new gift. The reality of what had happened still had not completely sunk in, but it was really beginning to. She rested her head against Clark's shoulder and breathed out a heavy sigh. She did not want this, she just wanted to be normal. Extraordinary gifts were supposed to be Clark's thing.

"So how are we opposites?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"My primary control is over the Arcanum of Death and Matter," Owen replied. "Just as you deal in healing and the manipulation of all things living, I influence those things that have died or were never alive in the first place."

"No wonder they call you Moros," Clark mused with a soft chuckle. It was hard to find anything about their new situation amusing, but he wanted Lana to feel more comfortable if he could.

"It is ironic, I'll agree with that," Owen replied with a smile of his own. "But don't get the wrong impression. Just because I can manipulate the forces of Death does not make me inherently evil, or evil in any fashion. I fight for the same things that you do, Clark."

"And what exactly do you think I fight for, Owen?"

"Oh you know: truth, justice, all that other stuff," he said.

Clark could not help but grin. He remembered saying something very similar to Chloe when he ran for student government his freshman year. The more he thought about it, the more he began to trust his new companions.

"So how am I supposed to learn to control these abilities?" Lana asked.

"Well, either myself or Wolfe can take you on as our apprentice. That would be the easiest way."

"But I thought you said our magics were different?"

"Indeed I did, but every Mage has the potential to master any Arcana he chooses save for one."

"And how is that decided?" That was Clark.

"By the Mage's Path," Allie replied. "Just as Lana will be most effective with Life and Spirit magic, she will have an extremely difficult time learning anything from the Death Arcana. Owen, on the other hand, has almost no skill or understanding of Spirit magic."

"Then how exactly is he supposed to teach me if he doesn't understand my powers?"

"It has nothing to do with understanding, and everything to do with inherent natural skill," Owen replied. "Magic is divided into different practices, which you will learn with time and training. These apply to all magic, regardless of its nature. The techniques developed by early Mages paved the way for later students to be taught even by masters of a different Path."

"All right, that makes sense," Lana said. "But can we continue this conversation later? It's starting to give me a headache."

Owen nodded. "Sure, but feel free to ask me anything about your new abilities. I'll do what I can to help."

The group fell silent as they continued to make their way towards the Metropolis city limits, and as Clark tenderly stroked Lana's hair, he felt her fall asleep in his arms. It was a pleasant feeling, knowing that Lana was so relaxed and secure with him. Her face was peacefully angelic, and as he gazed lovingly upon her exotic yet innocent visage, he felt himself falling for her all over again.

Clark had made so many mistakes with her in the past, and he knew it. He could have had her in his arms years before had he only summoned the courage to be honest with her, but he had been a coward. As he brushed her hair out of her face, he silently vowed that he would be honest with her from now on. The Kryptonian was not entirely sure what the future held for them, but no matter what happened, everything would be okay as long as she was by his side.

His moment of reflection and regret was brought to a sudden, violent halt as something slammed into the back of the truck like a giant fist. Owen cursed, looking into the rearview mirror as Clark turned to see what was behind them as well. He was not pleased.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked groggily. "Did we just hit something?"

"Keep your head down," Clark replied.

Behind them, two black SUV's had begun to give chase. Clark could not see who was driving, but he had a bad feeling it was the people who were after him in the Talon. A moment later, one of the vehicles gunned its engine and pulled up alongside Owen's truck on the left. The window rolled down and Clark saw a glint of metal in the moonlight.

"DOWN!" Owen ordered with a sharp bark.

Everyone except for Clark instantly obeyed, and the passenger opened fire with a fully-automatic assault rifle. Glass shattered and bullet holes peppered the side of the truck, but thankfully none of them penetrated. Owen responded by turning sharply into his assailants' vehicle, and the two hunks of moving metal met with a horrendously loud crash. Steel scraped against steel, each side jockeying for position.

Owen's truck proved the more powerful, and forced the enemy SUV onto the sidewalk.

Pedestrians scattered as the enemy vehicle crashed over mailboxes and street signs, sending sparks and debris everywhere. Owen took the moment offered to unbuckle his seatbelt and set the cruise control.

"What the HELL are you doing!?" Allie shouted.

"DRIVE!" Owen roared back. As Alamondria took the wheel, the Moros slid through the window and onto the roof. He rolled, allowing the momentum of the vehicle to carry him into the truck bed. Clark watched in awe as Allie slid into the driver's seat just as the SUV to their left regained control and pulled back onto the road. From behind them, the other vehicle opened fire, spraying bullets at the pickup. Owen ducked and the back window was blasted apart by the volley of fire.

Clark quickly fell atop his fiance, covering her as the hot lead shot by overhead. Or at least he thought it was lead at first. Some of them landed within the truck, and he immediately felt Kryptonite sickness overtake him. He winced as the expended ammunition began to glow, their radiation seemingly drawn to him.

Lana sensed the change come over him, and immediately placed her hands against his face. His skin was becoming more cold and clammy by the moment, and she could already feel sweat beading on his flesh. She wasted no time in hunting for the stray bullets, throwing them out of the window as quickly as she could.

"Hang on!" Allie called from the driver's seat. She made a hard right, turning into an alleyway. The SUV behind them followed easily, but the one beside them was forced to slam on its brakes to avoid crashing into the brick building left of the narrow street. There was a loud thud, and a complaining groan from the bed of the truck as Owen was jostled about.

"What the fuck was that!?"

"An 'L', or half a 'U'!"

"Well don't fucking do it again!"

Allie managed to keep her cool, but floored the accelerator. The engine roared and the vehicle lurched into high gear, quickly putting a lot of distance between them and their pursuers. She silently thanked the Creator for Owen's natural affinity with mechanics.

Clark wanted desperately to be able to help, but with the bad guys using Kryptonite against them, he was for once the most vulnerable member of the party. He hated it, but knew that he would have to rely on these people to protect him. They were capable, to be sure, but he would never like the idea of others putting their lives on the line for his sake. His eyes widened as they shot out of the alleyway and into the street, traffic zipping past all around them. Every muscle in his body corded in anticipation of an impact, and he instinctively wrapped Lana in his arms to protect her. A moment later, however, they were through the gauntlet and into another alleyway. He muttered the closest thing to a curse he ever had in his life, though, when the lead SUV made it through as well.

The one trailing, however, was not so lucky. Lana looked up just in time to see an oncoming semi smash into the driver's side of the SUV. The force of impact caused the vehicle to buckle and shatter, sending the ruined hulk pin-wheeling through the air. Lana's eyes widened in horror, a gasp escaping her as she covered her mouth with her hand. When the remnants of the SUV landed, it rolled several more times before finally coming to rest on its side, smoke billowing from the engine. A moment later, the vehicle exploded in an impressive ball of fire and shrapnel with enough force to shake the entire block.

Owen knew this chase had to end soon or even more people would wind up dead, but just as the remaining pursuit vehicle started to disappear, Alamondria slammed both feet on the brakes. He barely managed to stop himself from pitching through the back window and out of the windshield, but as he desperately grabbed onto the fog lights, he felt his shoulder dislocate. The Moros gritted his teeth against a pained groan, looking up to see what had forced her to stop. Up ahead, a station wagon with the back seat full of children had pulled directly into their path. Allie had managed to stop just inches from the passenger's side, and Owen let out a sigh of relief.

Allie threw the truck into reverse and stepped on the gas, speeding backwards towards their pursuers. Owen held on for dear life, watching with wide eyes as they came closer and closer to their antagonists, playing a deadly game of chicken. At the last second, she turned sharply into another alley, once again nearly sending Owen flying. He knew the only way she was able to pull off such high-risk maneuvers was to draw upon her power, and he prayed she would not draw too much. Being an Elemental, her abilities gave her heightened senses and reflexes while she was drawing upon her power, but if she were to draw too much, it could possibly kill her.

The SUV followed suit, and the two vehicles sped down the corridor face to face. Keeping hold of the fog lights with his right hand, Owen drew his revolver with the other and took aim. He fired twice, the weapon letting off a thunderous crack that reverberated off of the nearby walls. His first shot missed the driver's head by bare millimeters, but the second struck true. The passenger riding shotgun's face exploded, sending bone, blood, and brain matter splattering throughout the interior of the vehicle.

_One down, three to go_, he thought.

The two in back leaned out of their windows a moment later, taking aim and sending hundreds of deadly armor-piercing rounds towards them. Owen ducked, but as he did, Allie whipped a hard right out of the alley. The rounds passed by harmlessly. Now back on the main street, she yanked the handbrake and sent the truck into a one hundred eighty degree spin before gunning the engine as they oriented away from their pursuers. Owen was only kept from being hurled through the air by his decision to drop, instead bouncing painfully around the truck bed.

_I'm going to be so fucking sore after this…_

Back on an level playing field, the two vehicles shot down the street at speeds exceeding eighty miles per hour. Had it not been so late at night, the endeavor would have been suicidal. As it was, the chase was still extremely dangerous. Clark was more worried about the innocent people in Metropolis being harmed as a result than anything else, but he knew there was no avoiding this conflict.

Owen was faced with a dilemma. He wanted to end the chase as quickly as possible, but at the same time do so with as little collateral damage as possible. It would have been easier within the alleyway, but there had not been time with the extreme maneuvers his wife had been pulling off to try and shake their tail. He made a decision and took off running towards the tailgate.

Lana and Clark watched in amazement out of the back window, and Allie from the rearview mirror as the Moros leapt. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he flew towards the enemy SUV. While still in mid-flight, he drew his Nordic longsword, using it as a spear to lead the way towards their antagonists. He landed hard on the hood a breath later, his weapon shattering the windshield and embedding itself into the driver's throat, killing him instantly.

Chaos erupted as the driver's body slumped to the side, taking the steering wheel with it. The top-heavy vehicle was unable to take the strain of the sudden, sharp turn with no drop in speed. As it went up on two wheels, Owen did the only thing he could and jumped, trying to put as much distance between himself and the vehicle as he could. He landed hard on the sidewalk as the SUV crashed onto its side, kicking up massive amounts of sparks as it slid into the middle of a major intersection. Owen rolled and tumbled before coming to rest nearly one hundred feet from where the SUV stopped. He lay there, motionless.

Allie slammed on the brakes, whipping the truck around once again to face the other way. The suspension system Owen had installed was intended for such high-speed and risky maneuvers, and its weight counteracted any chance of the truck tipping over. Clark was unable to see the tears rolling down her face in fear for her lover, but he knew how she felt. She stopped beside her husband, not even bothering to set the parking brake before jumping out and dropping to her knees at his side.

The Moros was in bad shape. It was clear he had countless broken bones, and a deep gash across his head caused her heart to turn to ice. His blood was everywhere and it quickly soaked through her clothes as she gently cradled his head in her lap. Allie wept bitterly, not caring about the danger still present from the now burning vehicle only one hundred feet away. All of her focus was on her husband but, despite her amazing abilities, there was nothing she could do to help him. She wanted to yell at him for being so foolish, but his bravery and sacrifice had saved them. Allie shook her head, pushing such selfish thoughts from her mind as she concentrated on making him as comfortable as possible.

Clark's brow raised in surprise as Lana started to climb out, but he made no move to stop her. He did not know what she planned to do, but if she could help then he was not about to get in the way. He started to follow her, but realized that someone would need to drive them away from here before the police arrived. He quickly climbed into the driver's seat and set the brake to ensure the truck did not go anywhere.

Lana's stomach churned unpleasantly when she saw Owen's condition, but managed to resist the urge to vomit. Still new to her power, the young woman had no idea what she was supposed to do, but tried anyway. She placed her hands against Owen's chest and concentrated on taking his wounds away. In her mind's eye, she saw cuts closing, bones setting and mending back together. She saw new blood produced at four times the normal rate to replace what was lost, and his whole body knitting itself back together.

"Lana! Stop! You're going to-!"

But it was too late. Lana opened her eyes as Allie spoke, and at the same moment, the fabric between planes was rent. She felt energy being almost sucked out of her, and exhaustion seemed to have overcome Allie as well. The trees lining the sidewalks withered and died, and a stray cat screeched, turning tail and running away from them as though being chased by a dog.

Then the voices came. Lana was unable to see them, but she could feel beings of ephemera drawing near. They were whispers at first, but as the spirits drew closer, their voices turned to enraged roars that cursed and screamed at her. Shadowy figures began to manifest around them, taking the shapes of humans, animals, and even objects. These semi-transparent reflections of the material world approached her, and Lana froze in utter terror.

It was not until Clark wrapped his arms around her middle and hauled her to her feet that she realized she could move. She clambered into the front passenger's seat as quickly as she could, wanting to put as much distance between her and whatever she had angered as possible. Alamondria was not far behind, carrying her unconscious husband with surprising ease and getting into the back of the pickup. Clark wasted no time, flooring the gas and speeding away from the scene. As the intersection slowly faded in the distance, Clark could see fire trucks and other emergency vehicles arriving to the scene. They began to douse the flames consuming the SUV, but he knew they were too late to save the occupants.

"Just head towards Smallville," Allie said finally. "Whoever it was doesn't want us there, so that's where we're going to go."


End file.
